Mini Maglite AA LED Conversions and Cool Upgrades 

What I liked about the mini mag light was taking the lens cover off and using it like a candle in a tent or dark room.

Remember my first maglite, thought it was the greatest thing ever.

If you were a sound-guy/gal or lighting tech during the 90s you had one or three of these. before headlamps came into play you would just hold it with your mouth. I guess I'm sounding old-school here. Thanks senor sooch.

I love this company....I especially like the LED XL50 model they are great little lights I own about 5 of them...check them out. I saw an interview with the78 year old owner (he's much older now) they asked him why he didn't send his mfg to China...he said that his marketing people wanted him to do that and his reply was..."but then how do I tell the woman over there running that machine that she isn't going to be able to send her son to college because her job is going to China." He also said..."I know the company could make a LOT more money by going to China but I'd rather keep these people working right here in the U.S.A."

Left one in the woods in a primitive lean to shelter for two years. Cleaned it up at home, still works. That's after 2 bad winters and it be frozen with a corroded battery. Tank!

U. S. NAVY intrduced me to the maglite. Bought my first one at the ships store aboard the USS Independence in May of 1987. You talk about a reliable light. Used it in shipyard, used in in power failure and used it on the flight deck performing maintance. (with my red lens) love them lights . Thanks so much for this video. going ti do this to mine.

Reminds me of being a kid in the late 80’s and 90’s. We always had maglites kicking around. Used them for everything from camping to household projects to blanket forts. I still have three or four maglites that I really don’t use anymore but can’t seem to get rid of despite having better options. They’re just nostalgic.

I still have my Maglite(s), 20 years later! 😊 They sit as dinosaurs, as I have not still made any light bulb to LED conversions. Now I use a 15yr old NITEFIGHTER (a not known but quality made LED 18650 torch), Fenix E15 2016, Lumintop EDC 01 (AAA), Lumintop EDC 3.0 (14500 & AA), Olight i1R2EOS (tiny, built in bat',) tiny and awesome, very practical, handy, useful. (...). Make a Torch and rechargeable battery reliable system, and keep it handy! God bless USA and Brazil!

Maglites are like Harley bikes, after you buy it…you need to spend more to at least make it decent!

And another thought about the durability and the lower lumens of the maglite is the industrial maintenance use of them, in certain situations having too bright of a light can be a problem when looking at mirror or near mirror finishes for repairs and the like, you still need the durability but less lumens to be able to see up close and not be blinded by your own light.

I still have 3, I did the led upgrade on all of them and 20 plus years later they still work

I did these so-called "upgrades" over 2 years ago. Unless you have some obsessive love affair with your mini mag lite, just go buy an LED flashlight. You'll save money, have a better light, and likely be using more currently technology in battery power.

You I thought this was an interesting video at first. Havent seen a maglite in years. Then I go to my recently deceased grandfather's house to clear some stuff out and I see his mini maglite in the garage, still fully functional. It's probably been 7 or 8 years since he's been in the garage or used anything in there. You better believe I took that home with me. Thanks for making me aware of some upgrades!

I prefer the incondescent for close-up work, easier on the eyes while there is too much reflective white light with the LED. Also colors are much easier to distinguish with incondescent which is much better when working with color coded wiring. Both LED & Incondescent have strong & weakness points this is why I have both, depending on the task at hand...

Love your gear reviews ... top notch!

Thumbs up for a made in the USA flashlight review. Hell has frozen over.

Thanks; this helped a ton. I had taken my AA Maglite to a hardware store and they could not get the conversion to work. Thanks to your excellent camera work I was able to isolate the problem to an oxidized positive pad on the "do not remove" (lampholder) part. Also your video showed how the position the negative terminal (which had popped out on disassembly) when I put the lampholder back in. Thank you so much. A+++

The Mini Mag was my go to back in the day some 20 yrs ago, would carry it in its matching belt pouch (the much nicer one with the closing flap that they sold separately but should have been included). The ability to adjust from flood to spot was probably one of the best feature of it. It's probably why I use an LED zoomie as my EDC today.

More reasonable!! Any light is better than none

My great-grandparents had mag lights in every room.

The XL50 is by far my favorite flashlight I’ve ever had. I’ve been using mine almost daily since 2014, and it has performed admirably without issue all this time.

Thanks for this video Don, I throughly love my mini maglite flashlights.

I have one from years ago. Been wanting. To do this. Tomorrow sootch00. I’m gettin r done tomorrow. God bless brother. 🇺🇸🙏🏻

Carried a mini mag light for years for work. Been carrying Olight the last couple years. You said it... no comparison! The heat shrink tubing is a great idea!

I love maglite for their classic aesthetic simplicity and reliability ,I just wish they would introduce a much better reflector cone with no artifacts and hot spots. In my opinion Maglite makes the best looking flashlights, most modern flashlights these days are just ugly, too tactical and futuristic looking. Nothing comes close in slim compact size to the led solitaire, and the AAA led minimag is a great one as well for around $15. Btw Streamlight was actually first, and shortly after the minimag hit the scene Streamlight had the Mini mite light ( you'll find no information, they changed the name to something else I can't remember) which looked a lot like a minimag with a tail switch.

That was one of my first lights was a mini mag when I was a kid that started the flashlight craze for me. Believe it or not I still have that light and it still works I have the conversion kit as well

These upgrades have been around for years - there's a market from the passionate Maglite fans out there!

Excellent video. That was a lot of fun

You are a prophet...I am convinced. I was JUST thinking about this very topic...all the while musing over my old Maglite AA....just found it a few minutes ago. I still have an old pressure switch-tailcap mod to use the Mag as a weapons light on a long gun. Be honest....how many of you did not know there was a spare bulb in the tailcap?? Great video!

thank you for the video sootchoo!!!

I have used those Mini Maglite s for years. With the news and mood of the country these days, I sought out a AA and AAA battery solar charger. It works great. Use with Ni-HH or NI-CD batteries

An overlooked upgrade is to coat all threads and O-rings with a rubber-safe (synthetic/silicone) grease. It will make the focus and on switch of a Maglite very slick and will preserve the O-rings and enhance the water resistance a bit.

Perfect timing just found an old one still in mint condition looks like its time for an upgrade

For anyone who came for LED upgrade, I just bought the Nite Eyez kit off Amazon for $15. This will turn your incandescent Mini into a super bright LED. I added the Eneloop Pro 2500 mah AAs, meaning I can pack 4 extra AAs and get about 50 hours of continuous light, or more with more AAs. I find this to be a big improvement over rechargeable devices which tend to die right when you need them

Great to see increased frequency of videos on sensible prepper!

Thanks Don, stay frosty everyone

Thanks for filming

Been subscribed for years and love your vids. I think this vid was dedicated to members of the "Mag lite Old timers club". Mag lites were great lights back in the day. Keep yours to show your grand kids. Move on and get an Olight.

Video got me sad man, last time I saw a comparison video with a xenon maglite was with Marshall from Going Gear... rip man.. miss ya

Dude, I love your videos.

Great video, I found an old four cell d battery maglight that was in the closet for ten years, I put the LED replacement in it and the batteries that I thought were dead work fine. I think it will last for a long time.

Thanks for the review brought back a lot of memories as a kid with his aa incandescent . I grew up with a 6 cell d my dad's go to flashlight at the time it was always a challenge trying to put that giant spring tail cap putting batteries back into it I would have to put all my weight into it lol

I have the Nite ize upgrade to my mini maglite also and it has served me well. I would never get rid of it ever.

Have carried a mini mag in one variety or another since 1997 great lights I have the mini mag pro now.

them little mags are awesome power went out the mini mags saved the day ran one in candle mode in each room worked great I love them I'll never get rid of my 14 lumens I use it a lot for paperwork at night works great when you want to light up with out going blind😉

it's great to have the Maglite still with us after all these years: I have them in multiple colors and sizes, with no shame. I've also used the upgrades, here and there, and I will warn everyone that the Nite-Ize button/switch upgrade can stop working after a while. (It didn't make me throw away my light, though: I just put the old bottom piece back in.)

I've always wondered whether there'd be an upgrade for my old Mini Maglite and whether it's any good. Watched this video, went to amazon - now I'm happy. Thanks!

Good options , thanks for sharing , God bless !

Very nice channel, lots of interesting information , 👍 Thx

I always want a good regular battery-powered flashlight in addition to my Olights and other LED/Lithium lights. When there's no power for recharging, regular batteries come in handy.

I love my triple D mag light. The original bulb shows colors better than the LED. The LED is brighter. And I can use the mag light as a club if needs arise. I bought my mag light in 1990. I was 17. I’m about to buy the pro. It will last another 31 years, until my next mag light purchase. If there’s a way to plug it directly into a portable solar panel, that would be awesome. Just a replaceable buttcap upgrade, and rechargeable batteries( I’m talking to you maglight.) Pro tip: If you remove the cover off the top and slide the base into it. The light becomes a standup lantern with an exposed bulb.

Bought the Nite-ize kit about 7 yrs ago when it came out. My tail cap has a red beacon that flashes every 5 min after use. To help locate it. Cool.

Had D cell big mag lights in my Jeep back in the day. Now, O-light fanatic.

If they would make a compact 18650 as twist head in the old fashion retro style. The would be something many would buy I think.

This video back me in my childhood.... MiniMag was my first "modern" flashlight after Varta with 3R12 battery pack :) How I use Imalent hr70 and Imalent ms03. Best of the best.

Thank you very much.

I love all of mine!!!

I forgot how bad the old incandescent lights were. Holy cow. A lighter is brighter

I have the keychain Mag and am amazed how bright that little guy is. Have a pink Mini Mag light that I almost never use but can't bring myself to get rid of. On the one hand, the LED upgrade would definitely make it brighter; on the other hand, sometimes you don't want a blinding cool light. A warm, dim light is occasionally better.

Tolle Videos habe mir schon manche gespeichert.

My first pump shotgun was a Winchester 1300 that got bubba'd hard with all the ATI pistol grip furniture, heat shield and a mini mag light with a pressure switch. It was sooo classy.

I did this when they first came out!

Really interesting upgrades@

I own a double AAA mini Maglite, the spare bulb is still in its place. I think i bought it in middle '90 and it was expansive. I dont upgrade it, i dont like triple A flashlights but i like that its look vintage. My latest aquisition is Acebeam K75 with 2 sets of batteries, Acebeam and KeepPower.

I still use a few of these Maglites. It is my standard to compare others.

I have an xl50 as well. Probably close to 10 years and is my edc light. Great light for the money.

Back in the day, Maglite was the gold standard, but times have definitely left them behind. I think it's extremely hard to beat the Wowtac A1S now as far as light/for your $$. I feel it delivers a great deal more features for the same $30

Hey! Ya forgot to test it as a candle! (-: ...them days ya just can't use/deal with the noise of a Coleman lantern. I like the lumens on the old Maglite/Pelicans cuz I can see again quicker when I turn it off. Mini still has it's place in my stash. Crazy vid SP, thanks

Got 2 minis a 2, 3, and 4D cell. All great lights.

Great Vid! I too bought a number of the old Maglite Xenon before the 'new' LED's came out. They still function, but comparison to new LED units are pretty poor. I next bought some of the LED XL50 units which are pretty darn good. I have them in each car, plus in the house. One of my old Maglite bulbs dies and I debated either just ordering new Xenon replacement bulbs or upgrading to the new LED conversion units. I didn't even know there was a replacement bulb in the end of the unit until I watched your video. Found it, replaced the old bulb and it works again I decided to just keep the old Maglites as extra lights instead of going to the higher cost of updating them to LED. That being said I feel sorry for the consumers that actually buy old technology Xenon flashlights because you can still purchase them.

Simple and reliable. Many tradesmen carried one on their belt or pocket. Just the right amount of light. No charging cables or special batteries e.g CR123. We were happy just to have a reliable light, we didn’t need a flashlight to blind someone. Today we can build ANY THING!!! Do we need everything…eg.self driving cars and trucks!!!

Those LED's are much more efficient and none of the battery power is wasted as heat. You can leave the flashlight on for days and it will still work.

I have several mag lights but I gotta say the streamlight stylus pro is excellent. 100 lumens out of box. Being a mechanic I use this everyday without failure

Old school mag lite was the best in it's day I love my o light pro warrior now but still have my 2 aa mini mag light in my get home pack

I have an xl50 mounted on a shotgun held up really well.

I STILL HAVE MY OLD MAG LIGHTS AND USE THEM TO THIS DAY!!!!! I NEVER UPGRADED MY OLD ONES( I STILL USE THEM)WHEN I COULD BUY BETTER COMPLETE ONES FOR THE SAME OR LESS MONEY THAN AN UPGRADE KIT!!!!!

i have the 14lumen version and i love to use it as a lantern 😀you can do it by simply removing the main cap and use it as a stand

waaaay back when, i owned maglights. they dropped the ball when LED's came into play. streamlight left them in the dust. i have one maglite led.....and it's not nearly as nice or reliable as my streamlights.

The mini mags are still handy and don’t burn up your C123s. I used them with the red lens caps quite often playing Army.

I have the 3 D battery led version I use at work and I like it. I have the SureFire XSC on my P365, I like my products Made in the USA🇺🇸

Still have my first and only one I have bought (20+y), new bulb and batteries and good to go

I recently added a black led mini maglite with red lense to my kit. I know I could get brighter and lighter, but maglite is built like a tank.

The clip is a must for me! I use it to clip my Mag Lite to my hat bill and use it for a headlight. Find a headlight that fits your pocket as nice as a Mag Lite Mini!

Thanks for Ontario California shout out.

Even with todays newest leds, brighter than ever and longer lasting batteries, they never last for me. They always go dim after a year or so and aren’t as bright as they used to be. Working in a prison with an led flashlight at night and it going dim is a real nightmare scenario. So I’ve continued to use my old xenon mini maglite. And while it isn’t the brightest, unlike all my leds, it never quits. And if it does break, Unlike an LED circuit board, a normal bulb can be swapped out in the dark just by feel alone. Maglite is the only flashlight I will continue to use on a daily basis and trust with my life. But I do have tail switch upgrades. Like the button on the back, or sometimes I will use the “bust a cap” glass breaker tail replacement if I’m going for a long drive. I even bring a maglite when I’m hiking or hunting, on the job or just day to day out and about. Even though they aren’t the brightest, (there are new maglites that are led and a 1000 lumens, I’m talking about my old ones I still have) like you said, they are still the standard when it comes to reliability, dependability, and indestructibility.

13:50 is genius! The factory knurling on the Maglites was always very poor. Good knurling creates shape edges, like rows of tiny pyramids but the Maglite knurling was just awful and slicker than a plain surface.

Best lights there are!

I prefer to buy Maglite because they are made in America. They make some of the best physical quality flashlights on the planet considering what they charge for them. It's such a shame they don't take their specs more seriously. Could you imagine if they tried to engineer a maglite mini to outdo the other guys? I'm buying the Pro right now but I also bought a vintage model and I'm going to play around with some lithium ion batteries and see what I could whip up with some crazy LEDs from the Internet.

The biggest threat to maglites was always the leaking alkaline batteries.

Having used a Maglite , i have seen the light

I have a mini mag pro that’s 351 Lumens and a streamlight stinger HPL. I use both lights every day at work, definitely interested in getting the push on/off button for my mini mag pro.

Hey Sootch... I am a Huge fan of Maglite Flashlights... I just recently visited their website and bought New O-rings...Lens...and Switches to rebuild a AA Mini Mag... You can't do that with most LED flashlights made in China...Bwa hahahahahaha Sadly...the only way I can get any of these Mag-Lites is by ordering off their website... None of my local stores sell them anymore...and that breaks my Heart... They are 100 percent made in the USA...and like you said..."Built like a Tank"... they can easily be upgraded to LED...as well... Thanks for doing this upgrade review...Kudos...my Friend...

The current pro PLUS is 351 lumens and has hi and low......great option......sometimes you need runtime over excess light......the plus gives you that option......great review.

I like having one of the originals around. Sometimes the LED is just too much.

The Big Larry flashlight has been the gold standard since Frodo destroyed the one ring at mount doom!

100-200 lumens seem to respect colors and good for out indoors/repairs and the 300 good for outdoors or light an entire room aiming for the roof. Anything bellow 100 might be old trash at this point considering how good LED technology improve all this years on both power and efficient. Best review ever o/ just missing more testing grounds as some use them to repair their cars and stuff and not for outdoors, but we got the idea ;)

There is a glass lens available for the AA online. I don't recall who the vendor is, but it works very well. Great video!

I tossed my old AA MINI MAG in my tool box. I have the new AA Mini mag LED for my tool bag. Its fukin awesome!

Ha ha, those are a blast from the past. I have probably 6 or 8 of them in a drawer in the shop. They were so junky and unreliable, I'd just wait until I had 4 or 5 that were inoperable, box them up and send them to california for lifertime warranty repair. After a very long wait, they would come back ( slowest warranty repair ever ! ), and I would start the process over.

Did this on my bigger D cell maglites but quite an expensive upgrade, I have recently bought ledlenser torches and much prefer them as well as their optics and features nowadays.